Seal



v Sept. 8, 1925.

H. M. MELTQN ssu.

Filed Nov. 10. 1924' NV EN TOR. M f /I.

Patented Sept. 8,

HENRY M. MELTON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

SEAL.

Application filed November 10, 1924. Serial No. 748,888.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, HENRY M. MELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Seal, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a seal.

One object of the invention is to provide a seal of the character described specially designed for use in sealing railway freight oar doors.

It is common practice, in shipping freight to seal the freight car doors, after the car has been loaded at the point of origin, to prevent interference with, or theft of, the shipment in transit.

plished by means of a tie, or loop, of tin or similar metal'in the form of a metallic strip,

which ties together the interlocking parts of the door latch, and whose free ends are secured together by means of a soft metal rivet. The ends of the 'tie are riveted together by means of a seal, which is designed not only to overturn, or upset, the tail of the rivet, but also to form an impression thereon, providing data to. indicate the line over which the shipment moves, as well as the point of origin of the shipment.

In application the loop of the tie is fitted through the parts of the latch of the door to be secured and the rivet is then fitted in place through holes in the free'ends of the tie and riveted securely in place. In order to obtain aiperfect-impression, and to securely fasten the ends of the tie together, it

is essential that the free ends of the tie and the rivet be, fully inserted, in proper position, intothe seal'before' the sealing operation takes place, and it is further necessary that said free ends of the tie be firmly held together while the tail ofthe rivet is'being upset, as otherwise an imperfect impression will be made on the rivet and the ends of the tie will often be broken in the upsetting operation. It is the prime object of this invention to provide a seal which cannot be operated until the ends of the tie,to be secured,

are pro erly and fully inserted into the seal,

and which, in operation will securely holdthe ends of the'tie together during the op-' eration of the seal.

Another object'of the invention is to pro- This is usually accom- I employed.

block 10 have the confronting "seal, tie ends, intotheseal, to the end that the 'vide a seal ofthe character described which is of very simple construction and consequently may be very cheaply produced, and which is effective in operation.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operat1on and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, wherein V p I a Figure 1 shows a side view of the seal, partly in section.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary end view thereof, and

Flgure 4 shows an edge view of the tie Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1 designates the head of the seal, which has a deep slot 2 in one edge, forming the spaced side flanges 3, 3, which have extended ears 4, 4 and 5, 5, provided with aligned bearings. 'The grip handles-6 and 7 are pivoted between these respective ears, by means of the bearing pins 8 and 9. These pins are fitted through the corresponding handles and work in the aligned bearings of the adjacent ears. The handle 6 is extended into the slot 2 forming a die block 10. Interposed between the die block 10 and the opposing part of the head 1 there is a comparatively strong coil spring 11, whose "ends are retained in shallow sockets formed, in said block] and head, respectively.

- This spring tends to hold-the seal in open position. w v

The opposing faces of the head 1 and the dies 12 and 13 formed therein, having certain characters formed therein, for indicating the railway line, and the particular station thereon, respectively, where the car was sealed.

It is to be noted that the outer ends of the flanges 3 are flush with the corresponding outer end of the head. This formation makes it lmposslble to insert the free ends of the tie into the seal fromthesideof the and insures the uniform insertion of the impressionson the rivets-of the ties will ,-for.ining the bottom of the slot 2.

seal against operation. A fiat spring l'i i-s secured at one end, to the head, and its other end presses against said latch underneath; When thetie is fully inserted in the seal the ends of the tie disengage said latch which permits the operation of the seal but the latch prevents such operation until the free ends of the tie fully inserted to align 't-h'e rivet with the dies 1 and 13. A perfeet. impression is thus insured. hen the seal separated the latch works in the bore 15, but when the seal is again opened the latch is operated into locking position by the spring 17, to prevent the premature operation of the seal.

The inner side of the handle/7, at its pivoted end,-has two cams, l8 and "19, the former of which works in a deep slot in the outer side of the blocklO and the latter of which works against the outer side of said block. There is a plunger 21 which works in a transverse bore 22 in the outer end of the blocl; 10 and is seated on a yieldable seat 23. The inner end of the plunger works against the cam 18 and its outer end projects out through a suitable bearing through the operative face of the die block 10.

In operation the loop, or tie 24, is insertedthrough the parts of the'car-door latch,

to be secured, and the rivet is then passed through the holes, provided for it, in the free ends of the tie, as shown in Figure 4. The free ends of the tie are then insert'ed, endwise into the slot 2 between the head and die block 10 until the said free ends disengage the latch-14, at which time the rivet head is in .positionto seat fully against the die 12-. The handles 6 and 7 are now gripped together. As the handle 7 moves toward the handle 6 the cam 18 first operates to project the plunger 21 out against the tie 24 to press its sides firmly together and thereafter the cam 19 comes into contact with the opposing side of the die block 10 and forces said block toward the opposing face of the head This block moves relative to the plunger 21, causing the plunger to re-cede, relative to the block, but to remain stationary, relative to the tie. the handles are forced further together thetail of the rivet is upset by the die 13, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4, and the desired impression is made thereon, the final step, of the operation, however, being accomplished by the handle 7, acting through the elevated fulcrum 26,'on the handle 6, and effecting a final thrust ofthe die block 10' against the rivet.

The plunger 21, during the sealing operation, operates, as above stated, to hold the of the tie closel -together and thus prevents the rivet from bulging between the free -ends of the tie and bursting, or breaking one or both of said ends.

li hen the handles, or one of them are -released the springs 11 and 23 operate to carry all the parts back to original position for the next operation,

The handle 6 is provided with a ring 27 'for convenicnce in handling the seal,

C nly one form of the plunger 21, for the purpose stated, has been shown, but it is obvi'ous that this element. is capable of various 1: 4

one pf said handles being formed into a die block in said slot, a pair ofca'i'n's' formed on the other handle within said sl'ot, a plunger mounted in said block, t e of said cams beingdisposed to operate the plunger and the other cam being adapted to actuat'e the block relative to the head. a

' 2. A seal including a head-formed with a slot, a pair o'flhandl'esjwh'os'e adjacent ends are pivoted in said slot, one of said handles being formed into a die block in the slot, a plunger in said block, a'pair of cams on the adjacent end ofthe other handle, one of said cams being disposed to actuate said plunger and'the other cam being adapt ed to actuate said block when said handles are relatively moved.

'3. A tie seal including a head having spaced side fiangeswhose ends are flush with the end of the head, a handle pivoted thereto one end of which is formed into a die block, a yiel'da-ble member interposed between said head and block, and normally holding them spaced apart, a releasable latch normally locking said block and head in said spaced relation, said latch being adapted tobe released by the tie when inserted in the die, and means connected to the head for actuating the head and block toward each "other when said latch is re leased.

4. A seal formed with two die members pivoted together but spaced apart to permit the insertion of a tie between them, means limiting the tie to end wi'se insertionbetween the members, means for locking said membears in spaced relation, said means being adapted to be released throughsaid tie when soinserted, means for actuating said members to clamp said tie, and means adapted to impinge against, and clamp said tie, in ]advance of said actuation of the die memers.

5. A seal formed with two die members pivoted together, means normally locking said members in spaced relation to ,form a tie receiving slot between them, spaced side members adapted to limit the tie to endwise insertion ;in the slot, said means being releasable through the instrumentality of a tie inserted between said members, a plunger mounted in one member, means for actuating said plunger and said members through which the plunger'and die members will clamp the tie in succession, said actuating means including a handle and cams thereon.

6. A seal formed with two die members pivoted together, a handle forming a grip carried by one of said die members an actuating handle, forming a grip, pivotedto the other member, means normally holding said members apart to form a tie receiving space between them, a tie clamping device movably mounted inone of said members, means carried by the actuating handle and adapted to actuate said members into clamping relation with the tie, means carried by the actuating handle and adapted to actuate the clamping device into clamping relation with the tiein advance of the actuation of said members, and to hold said device in such relation during the operation s of said members.

In testimony whereof Ihave signe d my specification.

name to this a I HENRY M. MELTON. 

